OSU holds off OU in final scheduled Bedlam football game
The Oklahoma Sooners have dominated the football version of Bedlam with their in-state rival Oklahoma State Cowboys, but it was the Pokes who had the last say in the final scheduled Bedlam contest after 118 editions.
STILLWATER — The Oklahoma Sooners have dominated the football version of Bedlam with their in-state rival Oklahoma State Cowboys, but it was the Pokes who had the last say in the final scheduled Bedlam contest after 118 editions.
The Cowboys held off the Sooners 27-24 on Saturday afternoon at Boone Pickens Stadium to stay atop the Big 12 standings with Texas — which it does not play this season.
Down 21-17 after three quarters, the Cowboys (7-2 overall, 5-1 in Big 12 play) took the lead for good on Ollie Gordon II’s second touchdown run of the game, this one a 2-yarder. Alex Hale’s extra point put OSU ahead 24-21 with 7:59 left.
The drive went 97 yards, but 65 of those yards came on three OU penalties — two of those penalties on the same play. One penalty was a pass interference penalty, then a dead-ball unsportsmanlike penalty on OU coach Brent Venables when he came off the sidelines to try to talk to the nearby referee about the call. The third OU penalty was for offside.
The Sooners (7-2, 4-2) tried to mount a comeback, but on their ensuing possession they fumbled the ball with OSU defensive end Kody Walterscheid making the recovery at the OU 19 with 7:52 remaining to play.
The Pokes cashed in the takeaway as Hale hit his second field goal of the game, a 34-yarder, with 6:59 left in the game to up OSU’s advantage to 27-21.
The Sooners responded by driving into OSU’s red zone, but with between four and five minutes remaining in the game, Venables elected to have the drive end on a 35-yard field goal by Zach Schmit to cut OU’s deficit to 27-24 with 4:48 left to play. On the drive, on the play before, there was a questionable pass interference penalty on OSU against OU wide receiver Drake Stoops in the end zone that was not called. Instead of going for the TD on fourth down, Venables asked Schmit to connect on the 34-yard field goal to cut the deficit to three points.
The Cowboys got one first down on the ensuing possession, but ended up punting to the Sooners with 1:53 left in the game.
The Sooners got as far as their 49, but ended up being stopped on downs at that spot. The Cowboys took over and ran out the clock, which was then followed by “bedlam” when fans stormed the field and ended up taking down one of the goalposts.
The Pokes scored on the game’s opening possession as Gordon II scored his first of two touchdowns on a 20-yard run. Hale’s PAT put OSU ahead 7-0 with 11:39 left in the first quarter.
It didn’t take long for the Sooners to respond as they scored just 48 seconds later as Gavin Sawchuk rambled 64 yards down the right sidelines to paydirt with 10:51 remaining in the period. Schmit’s extra point tied the game at 7-all after the first 15 minutes.
One the very first play of the second quarter, OSU quarterback Alan Bowman went 13 yards for a touchdown. Hale’s PAT regained the lead for the Cowboys at 14-7 with 14:53 left before halftime.
After stopping OU on the ensuing drive, OSU scored its next possession, having the drive capped by Hale’s first field goal of the afternoon, a 36-yarder, to up OSU’s advantage to 17-7 with 9:42 remaining in the first half.
The Sooners responded as Dillon Gabriel connected with Stoops on a 6-yard TD pass with 7:06 left in the first half. Schmit’s extra point cut OU’s deficit to 17-14 at halftime.
OU’s only lead of the day came on the lone score of the third quarter as Tawee Walker took it to the house on a 23-yard touchdown run with 8:05 left in the period. Schmit’s PAT put the Sooners on top 21-17 going into the fourth quarter.
“That’s a really good football game,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said. “Lots of excitement, it’s kind of the way we wanted it. Back and forth, lots of big plays for both teams. Mistakes from both teams, things we wish we could have back and I’m sure there are mistakes they wish they could take back. Two good teams competing against each other for a heavyweight fight, trading blows. I mentioned in the locker room how proud I was of our coaches, their plans that they had going into the game but then the adjustments they made through the game. Our players’ willingness to ride the wave, ups and downs, and just continue to go out there and compete and play each play.”
“I’m really hurt for our guys,” Venables said. “They really laid it on the line. We didn’t always play great. We had too many critical mistakes against a good football team, but I loved the fight, the grit of the team, to give ourselves a chance at the end.”
